The perfect roast turkey recipe. Say goodbye to basting, butter and stress. This is the best way to achieve crispy skin and juicy meat. The trick is letting the turkey air dry in the fridge for a couple of days before cooking.
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Serves
8
Whole Turkey
Vegetable Oil
Fine Salt
Serves
8
Whole Turkey
Vegetable Oil
Fine Salt
Unlock this free recipe
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Step 1.
Remove the turkey from the packaging and pat dry with kitchen paper. Make sure to remove any residue inside the cavity.
Step 2.
Season generously all over with fine salt. Pop a wire rack on top of an oven dish, then place the turkey on the rack.
Step 3.
Put the turkey, uncovered, in the fridge for 24-48 hours to air-dry. This is where the magic happens; the salt is going to pull the moisture from the skin and season the meat to allow for a crispy and juicy bird.
Step 4.
When it’s time to cook, heat the oven to 230°C fan.
Step 5.
Remove the liquid that has collected in the bottom of the oven dish and pat the turkey dry with a paper towel. It’s super important to dry the skin well.
Step 6.
Brush the whole bird with vegetable oil and season with more salt. We want to avoid adding butter here, as butter is full of moisture and will prevent the skin from browning.
Step 7.
Tie the legs together at the ankles with butchers twine and lay the turkey back on the wire rack.
Step 8.
Pop the turkey inside the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 210°C.
Step 9.
If you have a temperature probe the thickest part of the breast should read 66-68°C and the thigh should read 72-74°C.
Step 10.
Remove the turkey from the oven and leave to rest, uncovered, for 35 mins before carving. The turkey needs to rest for this time to cook fully so you can’t skip this step! Serve with all the Christmas dinner sides.
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